ESSAY OF THE WEEK

What if . . . ?

Reporters and activists are, rightfully so, holding up the Standing Rock victory as a shining example of how, by breaking out of our single-issue and limited-constituency silos, and standing our common ground against corporations and politicians, we create a powerful synergy capable of protecting our common home.
We should follow this example more often, as Naomi Klein recently suggested:

The line between resistance and results is bright and undeniable. That kind of victory is rare precisely because it's contagious, because it shows people everywhere that organizing and resistance is not futile. And as Donald Trump moves closer and closer to the White House, that message is important indeed.

Couldn't agree more. Let's replicate this model of solidarity and resistance over and over as we face what could well turn out to be the greatest threats in modern history to our health, our environment and our basic rights.
But let's not stop there.What if instead of declaring victory and moving on to the next battle, we could leave the Standing Rock community with the inspiration and tools and resources to restore their land to the fertile, biodiverse, productive resource that it once was?
What if, instead of limiting ourselves to staving off the next attack, we applied ourselves, with equal passion, to the task of collaborating with the water protectors to build the foundation for a cleaner, healthier environment, a healthier and stronger community, and improved economic and climate stability?What if we altered the course of the future for our brothers and sisters at Standing Rock, and made possible what activist and author Derrick Jensen describes as "a time after where life flourishes, where buffalo can come home, and the same for salmon and prairie dogs and prairies and forests and carbon and rivers and mountains?"Read 'Standing Rock: Can We Bring the Buffalo Home?

ACTION ALERT

No Place Like Home

Want to rid the world of toxic chemicals? There's no better place to start than in your own community. But how does an "ordinary" citizen with no political experience get the ball rolling?With our friends at Beyond Pesticides, we've created an online tool that lets you see which communities in the U.S. have already banned or restricted the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides. You'll even find the full text for each law—so instead of starting from scratch, you can just replicate or adapt existing laws for your own community.
More than 115 communities in 21 states have passed ordinances to protect their citizens from exposure to toxic chemicals—and in almost all those cases, it was a citizen-led group, not a city lawmaker, who led the charge.Check out the newly launched Map of Local Pesticide Reform Policies, then sign up to learn how you can get started in your community. The map will be updated regularly. If your city, county or state has passed legislation but you're not on the map, contact info@beyondpesticides.org.Check out the Map of Local Pesticide Reform PoliciesRead the press releaseTAKE ACTION: Put your city on the map! Learn how you can make your community pesticide-free

SUPPORT THE OCA & OCF

#InfiniteHope

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Next week, we'll officially kick off our annual year-end fundraising campaign. But like most nonprofits that are gearing up for near-apocalyptic type battles, over everything from public and environmental health to basic human rights, we're getting an early start.No use sugar coating it. We will need to raise money to build a #ConsumerRevolution and #PoliticalRevolution on a scale meaningful enough to counter what is shaping up to be one of the most financially and politically corrupt administrations in our lifetimes.
But we want you to know that in the coming months we will ask you for much more than money. In 2017, we're going to step up our ask, as we ask you to step away from your laptops and phones. We will ask you to come out and join not only your fellow food and farming activists, but the many other activists in countless other movements. So that, together, we can build a new and unprecedented force that will have a real impact in the marketplace, and on the political landscape. Because #InfiniteHope requires that we view our many battles through a common lens. And commit to working together.
In 2017, we will ask you to boycott with a vengeance, to show solidarity against corrupt and polluting corporations.In 2017, we will ask you to find revolutionary candidates to run for office—or run yourselves. We'll ask you to start in your community, your Congressional District, your backyard.The clock is running out. Incremental "progress" won't get the job done. It's time to go long, or go home.
Martin Luther King is famous for another quote: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." We are facing a moral crisis when it comes to our right, and the right of future generations, to health and a healthy environment. The arc won't bend on its own.As you consider what organizations and efforts you want to support in 2017, we ask that you consider supporting our work. Thank you.Donate to the Organic Consumers Association(tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education)Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund(non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our GMO labeling legislative efforts)Support OCA's Regeneration International Project(tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic, regenerative agriculture and climate change)

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

'Living Dangerously'

On Wednesday, December 6, National Geographic launched its "Years of Living Dangerously" series on climate change. To mark the event, Citizens Climate Lobby is encouraging local U.S. chapters to host house parties, beginning December 8, so members can get together to watch and discuss the series.In this two-minute teaser, actor Bradley Whitford (he played White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama "The West Wing") challenges viewers to do the uncomfortable—reach out to people they disagree with, and find some common ground on the global warming issue.
Discouraged by the lack of interest and progress by politicians, Whitford says the good news is that the people are way ahead of the politicians when it comes to understanding how dire the situation is.Watch the videoContact your nearest Citizens' Climate Lobby chapter to find a party near you! Watch more 'Living Dangerously' episodes

FAIR WORLD PROJECT

Partially Fair?

The world of consumer labeling is far from perfect. Just look at the mess created by allowing companies to slap a "natural," "all-natural," or "100% Natural" on products containing everything from GMOs, to additives to toxic chemicals like glyphosate.
That said, there are a few labels you can count on. A certified organic product must contain ingredients that are at least 95-percent organic. A product labeled "vegan" is reliably 100-percent—not partially, plant-based. The same goes for a certified Kosher product—there are no ingredients in that product that are only "partially" Kosher.Unfortunately, in the world of fair trade certifications, standards are much lower. A product can be certified and labeled "Fair Trade" even if only a mere 20 percent of its ingredients are actually fair trade. Most producers take advantage of that low standard. The one exception is Fair for Life, which has consistently adhered to a higher standard. Unfortunately, the folks running Fair for Life may soon trade in their high standards for the 20-percent rule—unless consumers can convince them otherwise.Compare eco-social and fair trade certificationsTAKE ACTION: Don't Let Fair Trade Lose Its Meaning!

REGENERATION INTERNATIONAL

From Biomedicine to Beets

Yosef Camire used to be a biomedical engineer. Today he's pulling beets, harvesting spinach and making compost on his family's regenerative vegetable farm in Peyton, Colo.—a farm that produces 40,000 pounds of produce every year.
How did that happen?In 2014, Camire and his family founded Ahava Farm because they wanted to have an impact on climate change, land restoration and food security. In an interview with our Regeneration International team, Camire said he's now growing 75-plus varieties of heirloom-only produce. He's also raising about 225 chickens and 30 ducks, for eggs, and maintains a few top-bar beehives for pollination and honey. Fourteen alpacas provide biodiversity and manure and a little wool.Read RI's interview with the founder of Ahava Farm